Local charity Re-use Littleborough desperately needs these things

Local charity Re-use Littleborough is in need of selected items and volunteers to continue helping families in need; can you help?

The charity is currently in need of items to help struggling families, including single and double beds, mattresses, bedding, towels, toiletries for mother and baby, cots and toddler beds, prams, highchairs, bottles and sterilisers.

Founder and trustee Michael Bamford said: “We are so happy we have now been recognised as a serious charity, but the hard work is about to begin. We now need to tap into our local community to get the help we are desperate for.

“Our Resource Centre is so busy helping families in real need, be it furnishing a property from scratch or supporting needy mums – identified by midwives – leaving the maternity ward with very little or nothing.

“The centre is always in need of beds and mattresses, helping to get children up off the floor and into a clean, warm bed.”

The charity also hopes to source an environmentally-friendly collection van and more volunteers.

“We have a very dedicated team of volunteers that work so hard to keep things running, but we never have enough,” Michael added: “More volunteers in our shop in Littleborough would be amazing, extra help on our van that is out daily would also help us so much.

“Manning the centre in Rochdale, which is open every day from 10am to 2pm, is also an option.”

He continued: “It’s looking like the Clean Air tariff will be implemented locally next year and we would love a new environmentally friendly collection van. I’m sure it’s all doable, but we need a local business or supermarket to help us so it is tax-deductible.”

Initially founded as an eco-friendly community group in 2015, Re-use was granted charity status in October 2023 after moving to its 111 Church Street site.
 

Read more: Third time lucky as Reuse Littleborough is granted charity statusPublished: 16 October 2023

The group was originally started by Michael after he noticed a discrepancy between the waste we have in our country and those in need in poorer countries.

It began with an online post, asking for donations of unwanted baby items to send to the Forever Angels Baby Home in Tanzania and grew into a larger movement, with the main hub in Littleborough, a second-hand baby and children’s clothing shop and its resource centre for support workers.

Now Re-use Littleborough exists to provide an eco-friendly solution to prevent people from throwing perfectly usable items away and help those in the area in need, such as women fleeing violence, the homeless, those discharged from long-term hospital care, the elderly, asylum seekers and refugees.

If you can help, please get in touch with Re-use Littleborough by phoning the hub on 07729 564 556 or email reuselittleborough@gmail.com.